 Poster: A snowHead
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I see a lot of mentions about Kitzbuhel here. Is it any good? It seems really low.
Also, anyone stayed in the SnowBunnies hostel there?
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Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
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It is low, but you only need a couple of inches to ski on the pastures which make up the lower (and probably the upper) slopes. The highest point of the skiing is 2000m. It's a pretty resort, both the slopes and the town. Lots of jolly pubs by the pistes, good lift system, much improved this season by a new chair. The pistes could not be described as challenging; I was there last weekend with a 1.5 weeker and he skied a couple of the blacks slowly and carefully but with little problem (under my expert tuition, of course). Our kids moved us on from Kitzbuhel as not being challenging enough, to St Anton, but for beginners and intermediates or anyone looking for some pretty, generally undemanding piste skiing it's great. The off piste can be pretty good, I'm told, and it tends not to get tracked out by 9.30 as powder hounds go elsewhere. The town has reasonable restaurants and some very good ones and is pretty civilised despite being popular with Brits. It tends to be families rather than groups of teenagers who can't take their drink, a la St Anton.
The chap I was with last week stayed in SnowBunnies, and I had a look at it. It's basic hostel accom, he was in a room with 7 others (including 6 girls one night, which perked him up a bit). I don't know whether there are smaller rooms. There's a kitchen, with a fridge, and a clothes washing machine. No lockable storage that my colleague could find, but each room and the front door lock. It has a decent enough boot and ski room, and it's very well situated, about 5 mins walk from the Hahnenkammbahn and less to the centre of town. A hundred yards from a small supermarket. The owner lives on the premises and is, I think, N.American, and looked pretty out of it, but the place seems to be well enough run. I stayed in a pension for 3 or 4 times the price (which was EURO 22 pppn in SnowBunnies), money well spent so far as I was concerned, but if you're happy with a hostel, SnowBunnies looked fine (apart from the name).
If you stay there, note that the entrance is round the back; you go down some steps from the road, round the side of the house, under a low arch and there's the door, which is slightly odd. I guess it was the tradesman's entrance originally.
Admin, love the 'delete post' sound.
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Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
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Was there for a week last week; agree with what Richmond says. Loved the town, lots of nightlife. Large ski area with mostly intermediate skiing. Challenging enough for a reasonable intermediate like me.
Very busy and many queues, lots of Brits (not necessarily a good thing imho) and Germans, skiing 'etiquette' horrendous, saw lots of fast, reckless skiing in not very good conditions (warm, slushy, lumpy), especially on blue runs. A snowmobile going to an accident further down the (almost empty) slope ran over the back of a kid's skis right in front of me!
Would I return? Not sure unless snow conditions were excellent. Due some snow this week, I understand, which is badly needed.
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tessaventer, it sounds as though it was a bit hairy. I suppose almost any "big name" will be, in half term week; time to seek out the little-known places, with fewer posers on and off the piste. My sister went to Kitzbuhel a few times, as they had friends with a house there. She swears she saw women in the restaurants with Chanel moonboots and enough slap to sink a ship.
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Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
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pam w,
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| She swears she saw women in the restaurants with Chanel moonboots and enough slap to sink a ship |
which is why whenever I ski in Kitz I always stay in one of the other villages around the mountain. Kirchberg is a nice place and not full of rich yahoos. These days it's also OK to stay up the valley in the direction of Pass Thurn because they have now properly connected that area to the main Kitzbuehel area.
Despite the low altitude, it's surprisingly snow sure. As Richmond pointed out, you only need a couple of cm to be able to ski down to the valley because it's all on green meadows, not rocks. I love it. It's my second favourite in Austria after Lech!
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You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
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| Steilhang wrote: |
pam w,
| Quote: |
| She swears she saw women in the restaurants with Chanel moonboots and enough slap to sink a ship |
which is why whenever I ski in Kitz I always stay in one of the other villages around the mountain. |
I shouldn't worry too much about such people; they won't hurt you.
I'm surprised at the report of inconsiderate skiing; I've spent 2 week long hols (both half terms) and several long weekends and I've always found it a sedate sort of place. The main problems with the place (for me) are lack of altitude and lack of demanding pistes. I enjoy it for a 2 or 3 days, but I probably won't go back there for a week's skiing until I'm even more decrepit than I am now.
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| pam w wrote: |
| She swears she saw women in the restaurants with Chanel moonboots and enough slap to sink a ship. |
You sound surprised; that is most non-skiers view of ski resorts in general, and it's true of quite a few.
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